The three-day jamboree of Hindus from various parts of India and abroad will witness a massive Hindutva hype, reports Hemendra Singh Bartwal.

With the Sangh Parivar gearing up for a repeat performance in BJP's favour in UP Assembly elections after its success in recent civic polls, the VHP has lined up a series of programmes for mass mobilisation of Hindu voters in the state during the coming months.

The biggest event among these is the World Hindu Conference that has been convened in Allahabad in February during the Ardh Kumbh Mela.

The three-day jamboree of Hindus from various parts of India and abroad will witness a massive Hindutva hype with participation of top religious heads as well as RSS-VHP leadership.

Scheduled to be held between February 11 and 13, this meet will be preceded by the twelfth Dharm Sansad, a conclave of prominent Hindu sants, which too will be held during the Ardh Kumbh in January.

The strategy for early construction of Shri Ram Janmbhumi temple in Ayodhya will be the top agenda item for deliberation during both these meets, which will also discuss various other issues of concern to the Hindu community, according to VHP international president Ashok Singhal.

The idea is to target lakhs of Hindu pilgrims who converge upon Allahabad from all corners of UP and other states during the holy Ardh Kumbh that will be held from January 3 to February 16.

With thousands of Sangh Parivar cadres fanning out in the mela for interaction with the pilgrims, it will virtually become a part of the pre-election poll campaign for the BJP, according to the reckoning of Sangh strategists.

The Assembly polls are due in April but there is speculation that the Mulayam Singh government may try to get them preponed. With the prestige of two of its favourite BJP leaders - party chief Rajnath Singh and state incharge Kalyan Singh - at stake, the Sangh Parivar is working overtime to boost the saffron party's electoral prospects in the crucial state.

Singhal, on being asked if these events were being timed to benefit the BJP in UP polls, did not outrightly deny it. "The entire campaign is aimed at Hindu jagran (awakening).

Earlier, the BJP betrayed the community and suffered a loss. Now if they rectify their mistake (by taking a Hindutva line) and benefit from the Hindu jagran, it is all right with us," he said.

The VHP board of trustees will meet in Delhi on Thursday and Friday to finalise the arrangements and agenda for the Hindu meet as well as the Dharm Sansad.